The exploits of Brody, Scarlet, Arden, Brenna, Elizabeth, and Brent

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40. A Day That Ended With Rain

We woke up to a crisp morning and the sound of *click*click*click* from anything electrical. After a lengthy time of “dry camping” (no electric connection) the RV protested. We have been staying with friends but the hilly terrain has not made it practical to park near enough to their homes to plug in. Brent worked on the RV to hand crank the slides and locate the nearest RV maintenance facility. I took Brody and Scarlet to complete their rigorous Junior Ranger course for the Olympics. We were rewarded with a much clearer view today.

The RV needed nothing more than some time to recharge via driving or plugging in. The facility was kind enough to also give the RV a once over after 6 weeks on the road. Some areas were sealed and the pros gave us some tips on how to maintain our vehicle during our journey.

Due to the maintenance delay and the need to find a power source we were not able to explore the west coast of the peninsula. This will just be something that we will have to do on another visit! We did stop by the small town of Poulsbo which is like stepping into Scandinavia. Since the children are part Swedish we consider it a cultural heritage portion of the trip.

For a real treat we let them look at Scandinavian pastries through the window. Can’t you just smell the Cardamom?

Our day ended with Rain. That would actually be Rob Banes, a friend from Camp Tecumseh who has transplanted all the way from Delphi, Indiana to Tenino Washington. Our evening was spent reminiscing about camp days and learning about all the talents Rob has acquired over the years (he’s a lot more than just the man behind the “Super-buck Shuffle”). There were some generational connections as many of the Tecumseh friends mentioned have children at camp that are familiar to our children. Rob works for the Washington State of Department of Health and gave us a good overview of environmental aspects of Washington we didn’t know before. Between the National Park visits and just listening to our friends talk about their jobs were are learning something new everyday.

You should go see Erin & Gabe while you are there. They are 15 minutes from Poulsbo! I’ve been there every time I’ve gone out to visit They have been to LOTS of neat places out there. There is a really cool glass museum. Message me via Facebook or email me for their contact info.

I didn’t realize they were in the area – we are already farther south so we won’t get a chance to see them – this time around. But if we had connected there would a have been a photo front a center of your sweet little grandson.

Thank you for letting me be a part of your epic journey! You have a lovely family and I enjoyed our visit. Wish you could stay longer. So many things to see, so many conversations to share, so much candy left in the bowl. 😉